On Monday, Poland appealed a Brussels court’s decision requiring it to accept approximately 64 million Covid-19 doses it no longer wants and to pay Pfizer around €1.3 billion. Warsaw also requested a suspension of the ruling’s provisional enforcement while the appeal is pending.
“The court of first instance’s decision does not consider all pertinent factual and legal aspects of the case,” the Health Ministry stated in a statement. It mentioned that Poland would utilize “all legal means of defense” but refrained from revealing its arguments or evidence in order to safeguard the state’s interests.
The contested ruling stems from a 2021 agreement between the European Commission and Pfizer on behalf of EU nations. Poland ceased vaccine intake in 2022, citing dwindling demand and the effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Pfizer filed a lawsuit against Poland and Romania the next year. In April 2026, a Brussels court decided that Warsaw remained obligated by the contract and ordered it to pay the approximately €1.3 billion, along with interest and legal fees, for the doses not received.
Pfizer supported the Belgian court’s judgment, stating to POLITICO that it underscored “the importance of the contractual obligations that supported a successful European pandemic response, based on solidarity among Member States.” The company indicated it was taking “appropriate steps” to ensure adherence using “established legal enforcement mechanisms,” and noted that such actions followed “years of dialogue and notable flexibility to accommodate Member States’ situations.”
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